II. Rephrase these sentences.
1. I can’t be very much help to you. 2. I’ve always taken a tent and done it the hard way. 3. Great one for the open air. 4. They will put up with noisy kids. 5. I’m a dead loss. 6. Sounds too good to be true. 7. You know, even allowing for a bit of exaggeration in the advert, it seemed to have a lot to offer. 8. They are bound to say that. 9. Strange as it may seem, the kids are very good in the car. 10. If you go by train you are sort of insulated from all the lovely places you are passing. 11. It really is very kind of you to go to all this trouble. 12. I’ve decided to apply for that job. 13. My training and experience have put me in with a chance. 14. I feel reasonably optimistic about getting short-listed. 15. I don’t feel at my best in interviews. 16. I feel off balance when I’m in the hot seat myself. 17. I shoudn’t think they’ll get many applicants with your qualifications. 18. “What’s the pay like incidentally?” “Nearly twice what I’m getting now”. 19. The rates tend to be a lot higher there, anyway. 20. You’ll be loaded! 21. I should need a damned sight more than twice my present wages to be loaded. 22. He’d never do anyone a bad turn. 23. He’s a stick-in-the-mud. 24. He’s very slow to respond to new ideas. 25. I hope you fed them all that guff about your qualifications and experience in your application. 26. I thought I’d have a bash. 27. But you didn’t lay it on too thick. 28. They can go off you. 29. I bet you’ll cake walk it. 30. Travelling in the rush hour can be a bit of a bind. 31. I’ll have to ring off now.
III. Fill in the missing remarks in these snatches of telephone conversation (see Conversations 1 and 2).
1. C: Two-six-two four-three-double four. Charles Farmer speaking.
J.: …
2. C.: Hello, Joan, how are you?
J.: …
C.: Oh, not so bad, you know.
3. C.: But I’ve always taken a tent and done it the hard way.
J.: …
4. J.: …
C.: Oh dear, I am a dead loss, aren’t I. But tell me about the advert.
J.: …
5. С:. Sounds too good to be true. Expensive?
J.: …
6. C.: …
J.: Would you? That’s very kind of you. They won’t mind, will they?
C.: …
7. C.: No, of course not. I’m sure they’ll be pleased to help.
J.: …
8. J.: … It really is very kind of you to go to all this trouble.
C.: …
9. В.: Bob here. How’s things?
J.: …
10. J.: Very nice, too. Do you feel optimistic about it?
В.: …
11. J.: I shoudn’t think they’ll get many applicants with your qualifications.
